I imprinted on my brother's boyfriend
by Ashtin Nightwalker
Summary: Paul screws around and the pack hates it. A surprise imprinting doesn't help. Rated M for strong language. AU/OOC jacob's POV. Sorry I suck at summaries. DISCONTINUED!
1. Chapter 1

**Short Summary: Paul screws around and the entire pack hates it. A surprise imprint makes it even worse.**

**Full Summary: Everyone in the pack hates that Paul is an asshole and dates around because no one wants what happened to Leah and Sam to occur between Paul and whoever the current boy/girlfriend is. So what happens when, for the first time, Paul brings out a boy to meet the pack?**

**WARNING! This is somewhat an AU and definitely an OOC. I'll give more explanation when it's not a spoiler. Let me know how the first chapter goes!**

**Chapter One**

"Why do you date, Paul?" I asked my pack brother one day after he got off the phone with his current boyfriend. I have no idea why he was hanging out at my house. If anyone in the pack liked him the least, it was me. Yet here he was. Using my phone, watching my TV and eating my food.

You see, everyone in the pack _doesn't date_. The likeliness that we'll imprint at anytime was just too strong and no one wants to see what happened with Sam and Leah happen again. So we all pretty much refrain from romantic relationships out of a fear that in the end, we may hurt them. Even I ended my run with Bella because of this. She was hurt for a few days but she moved on to bigger and better things.

Then there's the problem with Paul. He actually dates people (girls _and _guys). It bothers the rest of us. Not that we know any of them, we can't stand that he would do this to anyone.

"Why not? I'm a horny teenager and I'm not going to wait for my soul mate to show up just to have sex." Everyone agreed that his kind of thinking was heartless but what could we do? So we just watch our brother have his relationships and go by without a single whisper of his imprint. Some of us were happy for that (namely Seth, Leah, Jarred and myself) More than once I found myself thinking (hoping) that maybe Paul didn't have an imprint.

He didn't talk to anyone else in the pack like he did to me. I could never really get why I dealt with it. Especially when I heard him talk about his boy/girlfriends. It just bothered me when he talked about their bodies as if he were giving an opinion on a piece of meat. It was so cold and uncaring. Half the time I didn't even know their names, if they were male or female. I felt especially sorry for his current boyfriend.

"Jake, you should his _ass_. Fucking firm as hell. Tight too. I can't tell you how many times I tore it up but he always comes back. Seriously dude. He's vocal as hell too. Always ready to scream for me. Though he's one of those pussies that cry after an orgasm, I don't mind. Fucking him is good enough to compensate, if you know what I mean."

I didn't know what he meant. But I didn't mention that. I just nodded in disgust, waiting for him to leave. I'm sure he knows it bothers me by now. Sure, I have the exact same teenage hormones as he does. But I could never do that to a human, even to satisfy my own needs. Though his boyfriend might not know how Paul talks about him, I felt shame for the poor boy and silently hoped that perhaps Paul wouldn't hurt him as much as some of the others.

**Let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Hey Jake, do you think I could crash here for the night?" Paul asked me in passing one Friday afternoon. He was coming in from patrol. And I was just about to leave for my patrol. I shrugged.

"Sure. Dad is on one of his business trips, so don't burn down my house. Why aren't you at your house anyway?" Paul shrugged at me and plopped down on the couch, grabbing the TV remote. I didn't have enough time to force an answer out of him.

Sam and Embry were waiting for me by the Eastern boundary line, the closest to my house. Their thoughts had been carefully guarded on my way over here. They wanted to speak face to face. Though I felt anxious about it, I could easily guess what it was about.

_Yes. It's about Paul._ Sam spoke to me. As always, his voice was calm and carefully leveled. Embry was of course, different. Just as everyone was different from the alpha.

_Yeah! We're sick of his shit!_ Embry wasn't really part of the conversation Sam wanted to have with me. He was just waiting because we have duty together. Sam huffed a low growl at him. Just telling him to shut up. Embry scowled at the ground. More because of Paul then Sam.

I sat on my haunches and faced my alpha. He mirrored my position while Embry decided it would be more interesting to run the boundary lines. Sam waited until our brother was out of sight.

_This isn't only about Paul. It's about you too, Jacob._ My worry was immediately evident to my leader. Was I in trouble because I couldn't bring myself to tell Paul what I really thought? I hated his behavior much more than the rest of the pack, but I could never hate him as a person. He may be an asshole but he was still my brother.

_No, you aren't in trouble Jacob. To be honest, I'm worried about you. I can tell he bothers you. I was thinking that we should switch patrol schedules. I know you love him but I think that some time away from him would give you enough time for a breather._ Sam explained. He couldn't help but give my shoulder a nudge. As wolves, it was the closest we got to a pat on the back.

_Thank you, Sam. But I'm quiet alright._ I moved back, bowing my head. I could tell my alpha felt hurt at what I was doing. I quickly explained myself to him._ I'm grateful for your concern. I'd rather Paul stay with me. I know he doesn't mean any wrong but the last thing I want is Paul to seek friendship somewhere else. I don't want to see Seth or Quil or anyone else go through this._

Since we were wolves, we obviously didn't have facial expression. But I could sense through the mental link, Sam's approval. His smiling face was strong in my mind. I could feel myself sort of smiling as well. _I understand. But if it gets to be too hard then I won't let him torture you anymore. Go get on the line. Before we have a vampire invasion._

Sam's command broke the tense air around us. I barked a laugh at him as I jumped away, settling myself into a steady pace. Embry felt bad for me. Like I couldn't help myself no matter what. But he didn't say anything. I reached out in the link to give him a mental hug.

_Thank you for worrying, Embry. But I'm fine._

I didn't know it at the time, but I wouldn't stay that way forever.

**So what did you think of chapter 2? Please leave a review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

If there was one thing I loved about being a wolf, I was running. There was nothing quiet so satisfying as feeling my legs pump under me, having the wind blowing in my face. Letting my problems disappear among the blur of green that almost seemed to separate for me. Of course, I watched the boundary line too. But ever since the Cullen's left, there hasn't been a whisper of vampire activity. I wasn't worried about them.

Of course, it goes without saying that my worries were more heavily based at home. The night after Sam talked to me about Paul, his mother kicked him out. And being his best friend (or at least the closest thing to) Paul asked to stay with me until he could find another place to stay. I couldn't say no.

I wasn't concerned about it past the fact that I couldn't stand him much. And that was before the accident. Dad got into a car accident while he was on his business trip. He broke so many bones that it was impossible to move him. So for the next couple months, he was stuck in a hospital in California, recovering. It was just bad luck that this all happened within the last week.

It was just Paul and me at home now. Most the time. On weekends (and some weekdays) there was always an unexpected visitor. Sometimes I saw the same person twice in a row (in passing) before they were dumped by my pack brother. But other than that, it rarely happened. And now that I saw them, Paul's verbal abuse towards them got worse.

"See her tits? Touched 'em once and they were as hard as diamonds. Of course they didn't feel that way when I motor-boated them."

Or

"Come on, Jake! I know you saw him limping! Would you believe that it took me two tries to do that to him?"

Or

"Her pussy was perfect! I hope you aren't doing anything tonight because you _have_ to know what I'm talking about. You never fucked until you fucked _her_ pussy!"

Thankfully, I was doing something. I let Sam fill up my schedule with night shifts. That way I hardly ever saw the people Paul dated. If you can call it dating at all. Still, every once in a while, I had an unfortunate run in with one of them as they rushed out. Sam wanted to yell at Paul. Order him to stop doing these things, at least while he was in someone else's home. But I refuse to let him. Paul might be an asshole but I couldn't do something like that, to even him.

_Sometime later…_

"Hey Jake. I'm inviting my boyfriend over tonight. He'll be staying late, so I hope you don't mind." I did mind and Paul knew it. But he also knew I wouldn't do anything about it. Especially since he waited until I was leaving to mention it. I didn't have time to think about telling him no.

"Fine." I mumbled, running out of the house. I could feel my chest aching and my eyes burning before I even made the change from human to wolf. Embry and Quil were waiting for me. For once, I was happy my alpha wasn't there.

_Jacob? Are you okay?_ Quil asked. I wasn't even a wolf for 10 seconds before he picked up that something was wrong. Tonight was the last straw. I couldn't take Paul anymore.

_That prick!_ Embry shouted as he openly growled at nothing. Quil was already turned around so he could run a meet me. They both read into my thoughts quicker then I could think of what to tell them.

_Go get Sam, Embry._ Quil ordered. Embry was about to do exactly that.

_No! Don't bring Sam into this. I don't want him to know._ I yelled. Quil was just now bursting through the trees. I collapsed to the ground so I could fight the shudders that ripped through me. The ones that wanted desperately to be sobs.

_Why not? You can't deny that you can't take this anymore. And we'll need Sam to put an end to it._ Embry didn't go to Sam's. He got back on the boundary line while Quil rubbed his forehead against mine, trying to comfort me. I leaned against him, knowing that this would be the most comfort I could get for a while. I tried to come up with an argument. Why tonight wasn't good. Why no time was ever good to confront Paul. I couldn't come up with one. Quil sighed.

_Tell you what, Jake. We won't do anything until our shift is over tonight. _No one said it but both Embry and Quil knew. As soon as Sam showed up for the next shift, they'd tell him and there would be nothing I could do about it. I didn't fight them on this one. I just forced myself into my work, trying hard not to think.

Time shouldn't have passed easily. It shouldn't have been gone in moments. Because it seemed like just a few minutes had passed when Sam suddenly appeared with us. I couldn't believe that it was already so late into the night. I looked at the sky; the inky black gave nothing away. Not even a few comforting stars.

_Sam, we have to do something about Paul, now._ Quil spoke to him before he had even finished the shifting. Embry was suddenly next to me, walking out of the wet brush. He nodded toward Sam's direction and gave me a nudge in that direction. I knew I couldn't do anything else. The only thing I could do was walk slowly. Embry didn't mind.

_Jacob, is this all true?_ Sam asked me directly. He heard the story from Quil. I bit my lip and lowered my head to the ground, even though he couldn't see me.

_It's nothing I haven't dealt with for the last few weeks. I just overreacted._ Embry scoffed, on the edge of a growl. I knew he wasn't angry with me.

_Overreacted, my ass. Jake was practically crying. Even if it's the same we have to tell Paul to stop doing this to him._ I wanted to argue against them. But I couldn't. I would die if I had to go back into that house alone. I felt my emotion swell up in my throat again. My eyes blurred. I tried to force it down. I hate it when this happens to me.

_Don't worry about it, Jake. We'll ask him to leave your home, that's all. And we'll all be there, so you won't be alone._ Sam comforted. Well, everyone that was here. Jarred and Leah just appeared for their shift. Looks like it'll have to wait a while because Sam had us all start toward my house. I shook between Embry and Quil, who took up their places on either side of me.

It wasn't that late for Paul. We could hear him from outside. The window to his guest room was open wide. Well, we didn't exactly him. All we heard was what he was doing to some poor boy.

"Ow, Paul… stop… you're hurting me… please stop." We heard fragments of this boy begging our brother to stop in between sobs and cries. They shook me to my core. I felt horror for him. I glanced at my alpha and knew, by his angered expression that everyone heard. I wasn't imagining it.

"Not that! Please Paul! I'm not ready!" The weakened voice screamed a sudden outburst. The thing that really pissed me off wasn't the voice begging and screaming. What got me was my pack brothers voice.

"Shut up, slut!" This was quickly followed by a slap and a loud gasp. The door to the guest room was wide open. Everyone could see the boy who was once on his hands and knees.

Both Paul and the boy were completely naked. The boy looked battered to say the least. Tears were pouring out of his eyes, which were squeezed shut against what was happening. Paul was shoving his shoulders into the bed, forcing his private areas to be exposed. The boy let out sharp cries every time Paul violated him with his fingers. Anyone could tell he was preparing the boy for something else. Something he didn't want.

"Paul!" This time it was Sam who shouted. Embry and Jarred ran forward, pulling him away from the boy who gasped and curled into a ball, covering himself. Quil grabbed a blanket off the floor and wrapped it around the shivering boy who sobbed into his hands. Leah put her hand on my arm, keeping me next to Sam. I watched the boy Paul was raping with tears in my eyes. How could anyone hurt such a pretty creature?

"What? He's my boyfriend!" Paul tried to defend himself. The boy let out a tortured cry and gave him the most unbelieving look.

"Not anymore." His voice shook. For the first time he looked around the room, meeting everyone's eye.

And someone imprinted.

**I like my cliffhangers way too much. Anyway, please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

The second the boy looked at me, everything disappeared. I couldn't see my brothers struggling with Paul. I couldn't hear Sam yelling at him. I couldn't even feel Leah try to push me out of the door, much less understand why. The only thing that kept me in the room was my imprint. And his tears.

I moved around Leah, ignoring her. Each step toward the boy lasted forever. His delicate green eyes captivated me. They were the purest shade of emerald, shining. Quil glanced at me and did a double take. He saw my face and looked at the boy. He understood what this boy was to me and moved away. I sat next to him, touching his face to brush away his tears.

Well I would have anyway. Except for the fact that he cringed away from my hand. That one movement brought me back into the present. I could hear Paul struggling. I could hear Sam yelling. But I still couldn't move away. I looked around the room and saw the chaos. I couldn't let my imprint stay another second in this room.

I glanced at the floor and noticed a pile of clothes on the floor that I didn't recognize as mine or Paul's. I picked them up and turned back to the bed, where my imprint scooted to the edge of the bed. His body shook violently as he cried over the scene. I couldn't be angry at them but I wasn't happy.

Despite his quiet protests, I scooped him up into my arms and carried him away from the room. I didn't stop there. I took him all the way out to my Rabbit. With one hand, I opened the passenger side door and gently lowered him into the seat, clothes, blanket and all. He stopped crying and watched me in disbelieve as I ran inside and grabbed my key's. Leah was standing in the living room. They were still fighting in the other room.

"Tell Sam I'm taking him home." I told her as I left. I wasn't gone for more than a minute. By the time I was out there, the boy was pulling a blue dress shirt over his head. The blanket was already shoved into the back.

"Where do you live?" I asked. He turned those beautiful eyes on me and swallowed deeply.

Edward Mason lived in a small apartment above the music store he worked at, in Port Angeles. The guy who owned it let him run it because there was no one else to do it. And it kept a decent income for the owner. Edward met Paul at a mall and didn't think anything of him. Just thought he was cute and was happy Paul seemed to feel the same way about him. He didn't expect anything to get heated.

"I never wanted it to go that far. A week ago, it was just a fling. If it turned into something else, great. If it didn't then, oh well." Edward explained to me that he didn't have much interest in Paul in the first place. (To be truthful, I let out a quiet sigh at the mention of this)

The car ride to Port Angeles was an hour and a half long. Even going all the speed limits and being deliberately slow on turns didn't lengthen our time together at all. We talked the entire time about everything that came across our minds. I had more fun than I could even remember. I was sad to hear,

"This is my place right here." The store was nice. Packed with CD's, players and band posters. He thanked me and opened his door. I didn't really know what I was doing until I reached out and touched his arm.

"Wait, Edward." He waited. I swallowed trying to think of a reason for him to wait. I reached into the compartment between the seats and pulled out an old receipt and a pen. I quickly scribbled down my number and handed it to him.

"Call me sometime. For whatever reason." I caught his tiny smile before he could hide it. He nodded, thanked me again and left. I watched him cross the street to his music store and didn't turn on the engine until I saw the lights turn on upstairs.

The after effects of the entire night stayed with me all the way home. I didn't think about what I would be coming home to until I saw that all the lights were on. Several people were inside. I saw one of them pacing. I sighed and pulled in the drive. I could almost hear everyone inside freeze. Again, I sighed.

**A note, Edward is human in this one but the rest of the Cullens still exist as vampires together, but Edward doesn't know about them. Bella never met any of them and doesn't know that either vampires or werewolves exist. (Actually, aside from being mentioned in chapter one, Bella doesn't have any part in the story)**

**I know I keep the chapters short but I think it's pretty good that way. Please review and tell me what you think. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Paul, I don't want you to stay here anymore." I told him what I wanted. Seeing my imprint made me stronger. Knowing what he did to my imprint fueled my rage toward him. Yes, I know that he didn't know Edward meant anything to me. But that didn't matter.

"Fine. You were always a pussy anyway." Sam already told him he had to go. And after tonight, they couldn't excuse him further. They asked him to leave but if he chose to stay, he had to clean his act up. He scoffed at me and turned to leave. Before he left the house, he picked up my phone and quickly dialed a number.

"Edward? I got kicked out. I'll be there-" I cut off his words, punching him in the face. I felt the cartilage of his nose crack. Blood spurted, staining both our shirts. The phone fell but didn't disconnect.

"What the fuck?" He screamed at me as he raised a hand to his broken nose. I glared at him as I picked up the phone.

"Edward, it's me, Jacob. You don't have to worry about Paul. He won't be seeing you." I could hear him gasp his relief on the other side of the line.

"Thank god. Thank you, Jacob." I smiled at his praise.

"Good night, Edward." I hung up without hearing a farewell. Mostly because Paul looked like he was about to kill me.

"You won't ever see Edward again, Paul. Don't try to contact him again." I ordered him. He flinched and I realized what I did. I didn't exactly have an alpha voice like Sam but when I meant it, I carried the same effect. (Being beta and all).

"You can't-" He objected. I was in his face in a second, grabbing his collar and glaring at him.

"Yes I can. You will never go near my imprint again. If you do, I'll kill you." For once, I was angry. For once I wasn't taking any shit from my brother. And for once, I didn't care.

I hauled Paul over to the door and shoved him out. He stumbled but didn't fall. After he took a moment to shoot a hateful glare at me, he shifted into a wolf and took off. I turned back inside, uncaring of where he went. I knew my imprint was safe from Paul.

Sam and everyone else left soon after Paul. There was just no reason for them to stay. Quil asked if I were okay to be alone for the night. I told him I was. I knew I would be fine. I didn't tell him that thoughts of Edward were already rushing through my mind.

I remembered the way his eyes looked like when they glanced at me for the first time. They were scared and full of tears. But somehow, they knew I wouldn't hurt him. His body shook even when I carried him out to my car. Surprisingly light. Or maybe that was just my inhuman strength .Either way, I tried to commit everything to memory. I didn't want to forget how he was when I first laid eyes on him.

One thing that was, well strange was that I dreamed of him. I knew from Quil, Sam and Jarred that it happened, it still felt strange to me. All I saw was a blurred image of his smile. One that I haven't seen. He was too shaken to smile, no matter how I tried to joke. So the image was entirely based on my imagination.

After I woke up from the pleasant dream, I couldn't sleep. It was about 5 in the morning. Though I was tired, sleep was impossible. My thoughts kept drifting back to Edward. I wondered about him. About his past, about his interests. He likes music, but I don't know what kind.

It seemed maddening to just sit and think about one person for so long. But no matter how hard I tried, I always drifted back to Edward. At some point, I huffed a sigh and forced myself out to the garage. I still had a few things at fix on my Rabbit. Just upgrades and what not. There wasn't much I could do, with my lack of parts and money.

"Hey Jacob!" I heard a voice call from outside. I glanced up and saw Embry. I automatically smiled.

"Hey, Em! Come on in!" I called to him. He didn't return my smile but jogged in anyway. He had a paper bag in his hand. I could smell sugar wafting from it. My stomach growled.

"Well this is a nice surprise." I commented, picking up a towel and wiping the grease off my hands. Now he smiled, reaching in the bag, pulling out a glazed donut and offered it to me.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing. Sam didn't really get the chance to talk to you about you're imprint so he asked me to come over." He mentioned, setting the bag by my elbow. I peaked inside while he sat down in the Rabbit to mess with the radio. I had left it on a country station, not caring about what I had been listening to.

"So he had you bring me a bag of donuts?" I questioned, slipping into the driver's seat. Embry found his favorite rap station. Usually this pissed me off but I didn't care now.

"I did that just because I love you so much." I smiled at this and offered him the bag. He reached in and grabbed the only one with coconut.

"Thank you… honey!" We both laughed at each other. I tossed the bag onto the dashboard.

"So what's his name?" He asked, shoving half the donut in his mouth.

"Edward." Why did I say the name like a prayer? I felt like a tool but I couldn't resist it. I couldn't stop it even if I tried. Embry didn't seem to notice. He just stared out the windshield, looking at nothing.

"I don't really get the whole imprint thing so I don't understand half the things Sam wants me to say to you. He wants you to know that having an imprint is tough, you know? You're entire existence is about them now, I'll assume you know what I'm talking about because it sounds like a chick flick that I don't want to be in." I laughed at him and gave his shoulder a hard shove. But he was right. It did sound like some sappy chick flick. What's really messed up is that now, I don't want to have it any other way.

"Sam said the hardest part about having an imprint is still being dedicated to the pack. We know you found your soul mate but you have to put your brothers and your land first." I instantly scowled and felt my fist crush the half eaten donut in my hand.

"I can't do that. I need to be there for Edward." I growled the words. Why am I suddenly so angry? Why am I shaking? I tried to calm down but couldn't.

"I know. Just don't forget us, alright?" The anger would have lasted longer if Embry had returned the feelings but he was calm. My rage faded just as quickly as it appeared.

We talked for a few more minutes. Mostly about the car and what I was doing to it. Embry mentioned an old beat down bike that he found and wanted to give to me. I accepted it, wondering if Edward liked motorcycles. Or cars in general. Embry left soon after, leaving me with confusing thoughts about a man I hardly knew. I wonder how I can even see him again. Especially when I don't even have his number.

I tossed a wrench into the tool box, frustrated. I was resisting Edward all night. I don't like how everything changed in an instant. I didn't fall in love slowly but surely. In a single second, I was obsessed. And I shouldn't have been. It was creepy. Why should he even go out with me anyway? The only reason we know each other is because my brother was trying to rape him.

I went back inside and took a long shower, scrubbing the afternoon off my body. When I went to get a change of clothes I realized I had a bunch of crap to do. Laundry and the dishes. The house was trashed to. I didn't want to do any of it but I had to.

When I went to get all my laundry together, I realized that the basket was in the guest room. When I went to go get it, I noticed that Paul left a bunch of dirty laundry as well. And when I began gathering it, I noticed a black shoulder bag that didn't belong to either of us. Hmm?

Mad with curiosity, I dropped everything and opened it. Had a lot of crap in it. It was stuffed with fliers for this video game event at some music store that I vaguely recognized. Behind the fliers was an iPod, cell phone and a wallet. I scooped them all out, sitting on Paul's bed.

The cell phone was completely dead while the iPod was crammed with music that wasn't half bad. Mostly piano music, that I didn't care for but it had a huge selection of soft rock, jazz, hip hop and even a bunch of soundtracks from movies. I hooked it up to a set of speakers and put it on shuffle, just listening. You think I'd go for the wallet first, but my curiosity didn't have it up so high on the priority list.

Edward's face soon looked up at me from his drivers license. It was a bad picture of him. His hair was all ruffled and his expression made it look like a mug shot. I still melted, feeling peace coil in the pit of my stomach. After a second of looking, I jumped up.

"I have a reason to call him!" I have no idea why I said it out loud. I practically ran to the phone and picked it up. That's when I realized…

"I don't have his number." That frustrated me.

"But I do." A voice brought me out of my thoughts. I flinched out of surprise. Paul was standing in the door way with an empty duffel bag in his hand.

"What do you want?" I glowered at him. He shrugged, walking to the guest room.

"I came to get my stuff, since I won't be staying here anymore." He noticed Edwards things on the guest bed and made a face at the speakers that were still hooked up to the iPod, playing an acoustic guitar song.

Some sort of weird instinct told me to go and clean up Edwards things. For some reason it felt like he was still being violated by my brother, for him to see my imprints things. I began fitting them back into the shoulder bag. While I was doing that, Paul reached over and grabbed one of the fliers from my hand. In all honesty I was about to punch him when he scribbled something down and pushed the flier at my chest.

"There's his number." Paul had already shoved all his clothes into his bag. Other than that, he didn't have anything here. He went to leave.

"Why?" I asked him without turning around. I have a feeling he answered me in just the same manor.

"Because I don't care that much." No one said it but we both knew that in some weird way, Paul did care. Though I don't think I'll ever understand why. I looked down at the black numbers as I listened to him leave the house. I smiled, silently thanking Paul. He may be an asshole but that doesn't mean there isn't any hope for him.

**Review? Please Review?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The phone rang four times before Edward picked up. I wasn't sure if it was him or his voice recording at first.

"Hello, Edward. It's me Jacob."

"Jacob? Oh yeah, I remember you. You gave me a ride home last night. Thank you, by the way." I smiled. He sounded busy so I tried not to take up too much time.

"You're welcome, any time. Hey, I'm just calling because you left your bag-"

"Oh, crap! I'm sorry! Gosh, I didn't even realize…" He interrupted me in a rush. I felt like I could see him, with a shocked look and a hand over his mouth. I tried not to laugh and ended up grinning.

"There's no need to apologize, Edward. I guess what I'm wondering is when would be a good time for me to bring it up there." I listened to him shuffling about. Some muffled sounds and a few voices. I could hear his but couldn't make out what he was saying.

"I don't know. Any time is good for me, I guess. I work in the store every day. Whenever is good for you, for the most part." I got excited. But then I remembered something in the exact same second someone knocked on the door.

"I'll have to check with my boss and see what my work schedule is for this week. I figured that I'd stop by for that video game event you have going on this Friday."

"Oh? Do you like video games?" I opened my door to see Sam standing there. I gestured him inside while I still spoke to Edward on the phone.

"They're ok. What do you think of them?" I asked, sitting on the couch. Sam helped himself to the fridge.

"I don't care for them at all, really. I'm just holding it because some big video game is coming out. Should I expect you?" I felt my body give a swell. Instantly, there were butterflies in my stomach. What a rush.

"Sure. Yeah, I'm good for Friday. I'll be there." I think I could hear his smile when he thanked me. It may have been my imagination. We exchanged goodbyes soon enough even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. I had a smile on my face when Sam sat down next to me. He handed me a soda. I gave a chuckle at the way it felt like a beer.

"Friday, huh?" Sam spoke after a silent swig of soda. I smiled and nodded.

"Embry talked to you?" Again, I nodded. He reached over and gave my shoulder a pat.

"It won't be a problem right now. It's when he loves you that you have to worry. Scratch that, when _I_ have to worry. There'll be a point, Jacob, where you'll have to choose between your mate and your pack. I can't decide what you'll choose because I don't know why. But when that time comes, you have to be able to conceive that one day, _you will live _without him."

My head snapped up at the last sentence of his speech. He nodded at me. I frowned at him, already hating what kind of life that would be. It was strange to have this feeling. Of already needing my imprint. I hate that I was already obsessed with him but I found myself slowly accepting it. Especially in times when it was brought to the front of my mind.

"Don't worry about it now. Just keep it with you, alright?" That was all Sam wanted to tell me. And that Friday was alright for me to go, he made sure that I wouldn't be needed then. I thanked him and sent him on his way.

And needless to say, I couldn't wait for the weekend to come.

_Friday, 6:30_

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to go with you? It's not a date." Embry, Quil, and Jared were all hanging out at my house. I was going over the few decent clothes I had, wondering what I should wear. I wanted to go in something casual, so it wasn't like I was trying too hard. But then again I didn't want to show up in a slob, acting as if I didn't care.

"I know that, Em. I'll be fine." I told them half a dozen times that I would be fine. Then again, being one of the pack babies doesn't help. I'm far too nice and that's what keeps me constantly protected. It's kind of annoying but I can't blame them.

I sorted through my shirts. That's the biggest worry of mine. How many people judge a person's style on how their knees look? A pair of blue jeans is easy, casual. They are appropriate in most social situations. While I couldn't decide if wearing a button shirt over a t-shirt would make me look like a tool. Or a white t-shirt covered by another, darker shirt with shorter sleeves. Then again, my arms are too long. It wouldn't look good. I have a nice chest. Maybe I should find a way to make my chest stand out without seeming intimidating.

"Jake, do you need some help?" Jared stood up and was now poking through my pathetic excuse for a wardrobe. Should I go clothes shopping? Maybe later. When I know what type of style Edward really likes. Maybe he has a thing for emo kids or something crazy like that. I could get into guy-liner if Edward likes it.

I nodded to Jared in between thoughts. I tried to remember what Edward was wearing that night. I could organize my new style around what he was wearing. Not the exact same thing. Like if he was a shy guy, I would take charge. If he was a dominant, I would let him have his way. I'm sure there's something I could do like that in style.

"Hear. The graphic T is cute. It's funny too, so it could be an ice breaker." It said 'you like this' with one of those facebook symbols. I'm not usually one for anything technical, but I thought it was funny.

"What if he thinks I look like an asshole because I wore that? I shouldn't assume that he's going to think it's cool." Quil shook his head and stood up.

"He's your imprint, he can't resist at least knowing you. Plus, this is a social event. He'll think it's cute, trust me. Wear a hoodie over or something, so it's like you just tossed it on." I thought about it for a second. Edward seems much more practical than that. Is he the type of guy to think something was 'cute'?

"I don't know. Maybe I should try a little bit too hard." Maybe if he notices that I'm trying too hard, he'll know that I'm at least trying. Would he respond? Would he like that I'm trying? Or would he think that was obsessive or something?

"Nah, considering your situation with him, how he's your imprint. I think you shouldn't hint at trying or anything like that. It'll be obvious how you feel soon enough. If you try too hard now, it could turn awkward." Embry took up my left side, and picked up a black t-shirt with a nice design. Had a swirling design with guitars weaved in with music notes. On a scroll that wrapped around the design, it said 'live for rock and roll'.

"Just wear this." We argued over shirts for another ten minutes before Quil got up, pushed his way past all of us and grabbed something else.

"Here, Jacob. This is simple, it's casual and he won't care about what you are wearing. The point is, you are going to see him. He won't care what you look like, as long as you're there. You won't care what you say, as long as it's your voice saying it."

"But-" I tried to interrupt. Quil held up a hand. I shut up quickly. He glanced at the wall.

"It's 6:45 now. Go take your shower and put that on. No cologne or anything like that. You'll have plenty of time for dinner, just don't mess around, okay?" I could do nothing but nod. He nudged me in the direction of the bath room. I took my jeans and a black t-shirt with a picture of a yellow mustang on the front.

I hurried through my shower and the pizza that Embry had ordered a few minutes afterward. I made sure to keep myself clean and brush my teeth before I left. If I hurried, I would show up about 15 minutes late. Quil said that would be alright. I agreed. 15 minutes in, and I won't seem desperate. There'll be plenty of people.

Now and then I gripped the wheel a little tighter. I get to see Edward.

**Thank you so much, those of you that are reviewing. How do you like the story so far? And someone has brought it to my attention that they were under the impression that this would be a Paul/Jacob story. I don't intend for them to be together romantically. I just wanted the fact that Edward was Jacobs imprint to be a surprise in the story. I only intended Paul to be one of the main characters. Without him, the story wouldn't have much of a plot after all.**

**If there are any other people who thought the same thing, I'm sorry. I had no intention of leading anyone to believe that. I just wanted to make a good story with plenty of suspense and mystery. (or at least as much as I can come up with) Anyway, please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Edwards music store was a little crowded. Not enough to call it a full house but enough to make the event successful. Even from outside, I could see him helping a bunch of kids set up some game on the Wii. I smiled and went inside, with his shoulder bag slung over my arm.

A guitar fanfare played when I walked in. Half the people, including Edward looked up at me. I blushed, feeling embarrassed. Was that supposed to happen? It didn't really matter a second later. Edward gave the middle school kids the remote to the gaming system and left them alone.

"Jacob! I'm so glad you came!" He had to raise his voice over the rock music playing loudly. Just enough to make simple conversation a little more difficult. But it wasn't that bad. I smiled down at him. His crooked smirk was just about the cutest thing I've ever seen. Or the hottest. I blushed at the simple thought.

"Wouldn't miss it." I promised him. We stood there, awkwardly for a moment. I coughed, trying to think of something to break the ice when the guitar fanfare played again. Edward looked over my shoulder for a moment but didn't do anything else.

"Oh, here's your bag." I handed it to him, feeling like an idiot. He smiled and thanked me, putting it behind the counter. Some other group of kids walked in, the fanfare played. I glanced at the door, confused. Edward laughed.

"I thought it would be more interesting than a bell." I chuckled and nodded.

"It is. I haven't seen anything like it." He was about to say something when someone else walked into the store. I glanced over my shoulder and did a double take. Jarred and Seth walked in. I frowned. Being right next to the door, they didn't miss me.

"Hey, Jake. Weird running into you here!" Jarred grinned at me. He knew exactly what he was doing. Seth didn't.

"Yeah, Jake. I didn't know you liked Guitar Hero." I shrugged at the title, not really recognizing it. Edward left for a moment. Some kids were starting to argue over who was next for the music games. The ones where you played a plastic guitar and sang badly into a microphone. I guess that was Guitar Hero.

The entire event was a bad time to hang out. Kids kept filling in for the rest of the night. Edward had a ton of reasons to avoid me, though I knew it wasn't his fault. I guess I should feel glad that I caught plenty of wishful glances. He wasn't the only one who wanted to just sit and talk. Jarred and Seth tried to help out. They tried to keep all the kids calm and in line so Edward wouldn't have to go leave us. Seth was a bit of a technical nerd. He liked computers and video games.

The evening dragged on. 11:00 pulled around. Edward started shuffling people out, selling games to those who wanted to buy and quickly closed up. I waited by the sidelines until I was sure there wasn't anyone else in the small shop. I approached him when he was just finishing packing up all the video game consoles.

"Hey, Edward. I know it's kind of late but I was wondering if you'd like to go grab a bit to eat with me." I asked him as nicely as I could manage. I felt a little bad as soon as I said it. He looked really tired.

He smiled anyway and nodded. Asked me to wait a minute for him so he could go change out of his work shirt. I agreed and went outside, leaning on my car. I bit my lip, nervously. So far it's been alright. We haven't hung out as much as I liked, but nothing has gone wrong.

"You ready?" His voice broke my train of thought. I looked up and saw him smiling. His loose hoodie was one of the cutest things I've ever seen. Only because he wore it.

"Yeah." I said with a grin. Edward gestured me over while he locked up his store.

"There's a pizza place nearby that's open until late." We walked in a nervous silence. The only time either of us spoke was when someone on a motorcycle roared by, making Edward jump. He mumbled,

"Tool." At the guy. I smiled a little bit while he frowned at the ground. I noticed how he shivered when there was a small gust of wind. He turned toward a dimly lit shop. A soft Italian theme played from a tiny radio behind the small bag. Two women sat there, talking softly over their drinks. An old man with a thick mustache glanced at us and gestured to one of the three booths.

"Hey Edward. The usual?" A small pixie woman appeared out of nowhere. I flinched and glared up at her in horror. She didn't react the way I did. She gave me a sheepish, pleading look. She knew what I was. And I knew what she was.

_Vampire._

"Sure, Alice. Thanks. What type of pizza do you like, Jake?" Edward answered her. He must not know what she is. Why should he? I stopped breathing against her sickly sweet smell. I knew I couldn't do anything about her. There were too many humans. And if I attack her, what if I fail? She could hurt Edward. I have to put him first. I'll approach her later.

"Anything but the fish." I answered truthfully, trying hard not to take in too much air. Edward gave a light chuckle and ordered a simple pepperoni pizza. Alice took it down with a smile. Just as she was disappearing into the kitchen, the man I saw behind the bar came over and gave us both tall glasses of iced tea.

"Do you come by here a lot?" I asked, listening hard for the vampire in the kitchen. They both addressed each other by name, so I needed to know how well my imprint knew her. Edward nodded.

"Yeah. My family used to be really poor and for a few years, Greg there gave us kids a place to stay while my parents worked out of the homeless shelter. Do you have family?" I nodded, taking a sip of the iced tea. It was bitter.

"I have two sisters and my dad. All of them are out of state right now though." Edward sipped at his drink as well. He smiled.

"I was technically an only child but I have a step brother and sister. I haven't heard from them in years." He seemed a little sad about it. I gave a small frown and asked why.

"When dad died, there wasn't much to keep my stepmother around. She took her kids off in some other direction. I was almost 18 so I couldn't go anywhere for help. Greg knew the guy who ran the music store before me and got me a job." I felt pain for my imprint. It was impossible not to. I didn't grieve for very long. The vampire, Alice was coming back with a small red basket with garlic bread sticks. The powerful smell masked hers, for the most part.

"The pizza will take about 20 minutes. So let me know if there's anything else you need." Her behavior was pleasant enough. Again, she shot me a pleading look when Edward wasn't paying attention. I flickered a gaze toward him, glared at her and looked at Edward again. She seemed to get the message and smiled, making an OK sign with her hand.

Okay? Okay! Did that mean she would have hurt him if I wasn't here? The possibilities pissed me off. I glared at her again, trying to tell her that she wasn't off the hook. She didn't pay attention and left immediately. Edward noticed my expression though. I didn't hide it quickly enough.

"What's up?" I could tell that it had bothered him. He tried to mask his emotions but I could still see the worry in his eyes. I smiled sheepishly.

"Nothing. Just a bad stomach ache." My body stayed completely still while my inner self winced. 'Stomach ache'? Really? Edward smiled too. The bad feeling seemed to stay with him, just not as strongly.

"Must be a bad one. You looked like you wanted to kill Alice or something." So he noticed who I was looking at. Crap. I shook my head.

"No, of course not. I mean, yeah. Bad one." My inner self winced again. I yelled at myself internally for all the stupid mistakes. He smiled, obviously trying to show that he didn't mind but I could tell it still bothered him.

"So what do you do? Work, college, what?" I shrugged.

"Work. I'm a temp." I answered truthfully. "Are you going to college or is it just the music store?"

"Just the music store. I wanted to go to college for teaching in music but I didn't have the funds."

And it went on. We talked about everything that came to us. Of course, every time Alice showed up I couldn't help feeling as if she was about to suck the life out of my imprint. She didn't do anything outside of being a normal waitress. Each time we exchanged looks, trying to communicate without actually speaking. I was more than glad when the paycheck came around. I wanted to pay for it.

"No, no. I got it." Edward tried to insist. When I refused for him to take the full check, he made us compromise. He wanted to take the actual check and let me take the tip. I knew he thought he was tricking me. A 15 dollar meal verses a 5 dollar tip.

I walked him home. It's been a nice night. Started off a little slow but ended greatly. I was nervous when Edward turned to me, suddenly sober, his crooked smile gone. I felt dread in the pit of my stomach. Did I do something wrong? I worriedly waited for him to speak.

"You… aren't like… Paul, are you?" His beautiful voice quivered. For the first time that night, he seemed to lean away from me, stared at the ground. My body took control. I only wanted myself wrap an arm around him and use the other to lift his chin.

"No. No, Edward. I would never do _anything_ like that to you. If I had you, I would do anything in my power to protect you and I would never hurt you." I promised, husking my words. Edwards beautiful green eyes sparkled up at me. I could tell he was a little scared but not enough.

"I'm sorry. I had to ask. I don't want to just jump from a terrible thing into something I don't know. I don't screw around." His eyes looked away. A crimson blush stained his cheeks. Once again he shivered. I couldn't help but stroke his jaw.

"I don't screw around either. And I'm not saying we should jump into a relationship right now. How about we try to be friends first. Try dating later on." His pretty eyes lit right up. He smiled up at me and nodded.

"That sounds pretty good." I tore myself away from him. He turned to head away. I took a step back. He hesitated at the door before he turned around. He put his hand on my arm, looking at the ground. I waited patiently. After a few seconds, he stretched up on his toes and pressed a small peck to my lips. I was too shocked to do anything besides wish him a good night and drove home in bliss. I was so glad that for the entire way, I kept having shivers of excitement. He likes me too. I wonder if he trusts me for anything more than that one little kiss.

I heard a loud howl when I got pretty close to home. There were no other cars on the road. A sandy wolf, followed by a larger streaked gray one. I smiled at them and pulled over. They waited a good distance from the car for me to get out.

"Hey Jake!" Jarred greeted me.

"How did it go?" Seth was an anxious little puppy, even when he shifted into a human. Jarred was grinning back at me. He already knew how it went.

"Pretty good." Seth let out a whoop and jumped in a quick circle. Jarred and I laughed at him. I thought to myself, _he'll make someone happy one day_. I didn't exactly think I could make anyone happy. But we're all full of surprises.

"Seems like you did better than pretty good." Jarred told me.

I wanted to run home as a wolf. Feel the earth under my paws and the fresh wind in my lungs. I wish I could have run home with Seth and Jarred. My car prevented that. So of course I drove. I tried to compensate by rolling all the windows down. I thought about my imprint for the entire night. Even in my dreams.

**So what did you think? I actually wrote this a few weeks ago and forgot to load it up, so I'm sorry! Please review, I'd really like to hear from readers! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

I was sleeping on my bed when I heard the noise. I grumbled as I was pulled from my sleep. At the foot of my bed, I saw my bedroom door swing open slowly. Light poured in. I sat up on my elbows with a groan.

"Sam? Paul?" The footsteps were rather light to be any of them. Any of my brothers. I squinted through the haze. A recently familiar face walked in. It was Edward. Wearing only boxers.

The sight went straight to my groin. I tried to contain the soft rumble in my chest without much success. I went to jump up and ask him why he was here. But he stopped me by putting a hand on my bare shoulder and pushing me down on the bed. He threw a leg over my body and straddled my hips.

"Edward?" He didn't let me speak. He pressed his lips to mine. I automatically opened my lips in surprise. His tongue immediately began exploring every corner of my mouth. I groaned as he ground his hips into my half hard dick.

"Edward!" I cried out. His hands stroked every inch of my chest, giving my nipples a lot of attention. I felt so hard and excited that I could barely contain myself. After a few short minutes of this treatment I couldn't help myself. I grabbed his hips and used the leverage to grind myself into him. Hard.

"Jacob." He moaned into my mouth. I lost control, hearing him call my name. I pulled his body against mine and held it there as my orgasm crashed over me.

"Edward!" I screamed out his name, as I spurted and woke up.

…

Yeah, I woke up. Edward was just a dream. The first erotic dream I've had… in a long time. I was somewhat ashamed of it happening. But it was also the most powerful orgasm I could remember. I still had to jerk off when I woke up too. I wanted Edward so bad. He was the sexiest thing I've ever seen and I couldn't resist what he did to me. Even now, I needed him. But that's what an imprint can do to you. They're your world.

When dawn rolled around, Sam called me up and reminded me that I had patrol in an hour. I thanked him and took a much needed shower. Ever since that dream, I basically stared up at the ceiling, sweating. Washington is having the worst heat wave in the last 10 years right now. Why was my fan a piece of crap? Why is my life a piece of crap?

I ran patrol with difficulty for once. I forced myself to focus on my job but my thoughts had been lingering back toward Edward and the events of last night. Every few minutes, I had to remind myself to stop thinking about him. I ran into a tree more then once.

_So how are you holding up?_ Jarred asked me. He was mildly amused by behavior but didn't openly mock it. He knew what it was like. I gave a mental shrug.

_I'm alright. So far._ I told him somewhat truthfully. Okay, it's driving me crazy but I'm still sane. If that makes sense. Jarred laughed at this.

_That's good. Sometimes its just hard to adjust._ Even while he was speaking, my thoughts wondered back to Edward. This time it was about his eyes. Green. A very dark green that seemed to reflect even the smallest amount of light in them.

_I know. But I think the worst is over._ I replied, shoving Edwards eyes into the furthest corner of my mind. Everything somehow manages to creep out of that corner eventually. No matter how many times I tell them to stay. Jarred seemed to smile.

_It certainly doesn't get worse. _He agreed. I nodded and we both focused on the task at hand. 30 seconds later I was trying to recall Edwards scent. I let out a small groan of frustration.

_Hey, Jarred?_ I asked him.

_Yeah, Jake?_ I paused a moment, unsure of how to ask. I knew I was going to the right person with this too. I dodged a tree and thought for a few more seconds.

_Does... it ever get... better?_ I asked him nervously. I felt his confusion.

_What do you mean?_

_The distractions. Will I get him out of my head?_ Jarred didn't laugh or even chuckle. He understood very well what I meant. He actually slowed down in his running to think about it.

_Yes. No. I'm not sure. He'll always be there, I guess. But it'll get easier. I'm always thinking about Kim. But I know I can divide my attention very well._

_So, no?_ Jarred let out a forced laugh at my tone. He shook his head as he got back up to speed.

_It gets easier is what I'm saying, Jake. Haven't you notice how well Sam, Embry and I can multi-task?_ I had, actually. I just didn't think it had anything to do with their imprints.

_It does. Our very lives are defined by our imprints happiness._ Jarred didn't sound sad at all. He just sounded completely relieved. I shook my head, scared of that. It made me think that my life was over. Like having a child.

_Its not like that, Jake. Just don't worry so much._ With that he raced off, focusing completely and totally on patrols. It gave me the hint to do the same.

I worried on and off. I was alternating between worried about the end of my life and obsessing over Edward. Everything he said and did, with fantasies of my own. I hated that he ruled my life now so completely but in the same sense I loved it. What the hell is wrong with me?

Later that night, I stayed late over at Sam's and Emily's for dinner. She made enough food to feed a small school. It was her famous chicken lasagna with entire loaves of garlic bread and a huge salad that everyone ate, just because we were hungry. It was fun to have the pack all in one place without it being about something bad. Even Paul behaved pretty well. He was couch surfing with everyone in the pack but me right now.

I didn't check my cell phone until I got home at about 11 pm. It's really late for me, to be just walking in the door. I climbed into bed, turning on my radio, recently outfitted with some songs from Edwards, Most Played list on his ipod. It definitely wasn't my usual style. But it wasn't bad. The classical stuff actually made me tired. Helped when I couldn't sleep.

I dug my phone out of my pocket, flipping through text messages and voice mails. I saw one from a number I almost didn't recognize. The voice mail was very confusing. All the voices were faded. It was a little hard to understand but I worked it out.

"-are you doing?" Couldn't recognize it.

"I'm calling Jacob." That was Edward.

"Oh yeah. That cute one you were talking about." Edward laughs as a response to this. Suddenly his voice was louder.

"Hello? Jacob? Hello?" That other voice laughed.

"I bet it went to voice mail." The other voice interrupted. The message cut off as Edward realized it _was _voice mail and started laughing.

I laughed for quiet a long time about that. Even when I read his text that he sent right after that voice mail.

_Sry about the voice mail. Call me if u want 2 hang out. _The text was sent a few hours ago. He was probably asleep by now. I didn't want to wake him, so I decided to wait a little while. I'll just sleep and call him in the morning. That should be okay.

…

Again, I dreamed of Edward. This time I was "waking up" in my own bed with him curled up next to me. When I tried to talk to him, he began groaning sleepily. He reached up and tickled my throat, telling me to shush.

"I'm sleepy, Jake." He whispered as he snuggled closer to me. I wrapped my arms around him.

"Baby, what are you doing here?" I whispered. He dropped his arm around my waist and buried his face into my neck and hair.

"I missed you." He mumbled. I held him just a little closer to me.

"I missed you too." His fingers trailed at the base of my throat. I swallowed deeply and grabbed his hand. I held his skin to mine for a little bit longer. The last thing I heard was a short laugh before waking up slowly.

…

Well at least this time, I didn't wake up with a surprise in my sheets. Though I missed him a lot. I silently began to wish he really was here. Telling me to be quiet. Tickling my neck. Teasing me with that warm breath of his, brushing my hair. I wanted to hold him so bad that it ached.

Although it was still early morning. I guess these dreams couldn't come at a more convenient time. Like right before I had to wake up anyway. But no. I was left staring at my ceiling for nearly and hour before I gave up and went to get something to eat.

I made almost half a cartons worth of scrambled eggs along with four pieces of toast and a very tall glass of orange juice. All of it I had finished just as day light was beginning to touch the sky. On a whim, I decided to take a quick jog down to the beach so I could sit at the top of the cliff. Where I could watch the morning come nicely and stroll on the beach. Weather wise, morning is my favorite time of day. The night chill is still there but you can feel the air starting to change. Everything smells fresh for a bright new day.

The unnatural heat was finally receding. The start of the new day was marked with a dark overcast. I breathed in the early ocean smell, wondering if Edward likes the ocean. Or swimming. Hiking. Or maybe he's not really an outdoor person. Then what kinds of things does he like besides music? He didn't say he was into gaming. I bet he's a reader.

I recalled everything we talked about the other night. Mostly his college and my job (which I loosely lied about). Plus family. There wasn't much to say for either of us. But interests was something that didn't come up. It's kind of weird. Maybe Edward will want to talk today.

I walked up and down the beach three times, going as slow as I could. By the time I stopped, it was about 9 in the morning. Well, I hope Edward is an early riser.

I pulled out my cell and redialed his number. It rang four times before going to voice mail.

"Hey, this is Edward. Sorry I can't take your call right now. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you."

"Hi, Edward. It's me Jacob. Call me back when you get this."

Then. I wait.

**Review? Please Review? I'd really appreciate it!**


	9. Chapter 9

It was nearly noon when I got the call back. He was yawning and sounded tired when I picked it up. I didn't say so but it sounded so cute to me.

"Oh yeah, Jake. I have the day off and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. Maybe have lunch?" I smiled to myself and nodded slowly.

"Yes, I'd like that. What time should I be there?" There was a little bit of shuffling on the other side of the line.

"How's 12:30, 1 o'clock ish?" He asked, stifling another yawn. I nodded again.

"Sounds great. I'll be there." I told him, checking my watch. I had an hour to prepare and get back up to Port Angles. He mumbled a good bye, which was broken in two with yet another yawn. I wonder why he's so tired?

"So lunch, huh?" I gasped and nearly jumped out of my skin when Sam's voice broke my line of thought. He was leaning against a tree several feet away. Why hadn't I noticed him there before? Sam smiled at me and pushed himself off the tree.

"Don't worry. Just wanted to check up on you." Some part of me got suddenly irritated at him saying this. I have no idea why though. I shrugged, at both the feeling and Sam. He examined me for a moment.

"It's going well?" He suggested. It was my turn to study him for a small second before nodding slowly.

"Good luck then." Sam's voice had a strange edge to it. It wasn't dark at all. But it wasn't exactly positive. Huh? He turned away quickly and left. He didn't turn into a wolf until he was just inside the tree line. I didn't let what he said bug me though. Edward wants to see me today. That's more then good enough for me.

…

I was in Port Angles and at Edwards music store with five minutes to spare. I tried, unsuccessfully to keep myself from getting too excited. _It's just lunch_, I tried to convince myself. But at the same time, another part of me screamed, _It's just Edward!_

I swallowed everything down and made sure I at least looked sane before I even left the car. Edward was inside the shop, behind the counter. He saw me just as I was getting to the door and smiled. I smiled back just as widely. He took out a small sign that said _Taking a lunch break_ on it and put it on the window right next to the counter.

"Hey, Jake. Thanks for coming out." He grinning over his shoulder as he locked the door behind him. I shrug.

"Anytime." Edward shrugged a sweater on and shoved his keys into the pocket.

"I had actually planned to start making something but I needed to run to the store and I didn't have time today. Cause I'm an idiot and over slept." I laughed again.

"You're not an idiot." I told him. But he ignored it and gestured me to follow him. The supermarket he visited was several blocks away. He told me about what he would be making for lunch; tacos. I hummed my delight. I never really loved tacos. But any kind of food Edward made for me... I flinched, yelling at myself _Knock it off!_

Once we got to the market, Edward picked up a shopping basket which I took from him. He unsuccessfully tried to hide a smile at this but otherwise said nothing else. I followed him around the store while he spoke the list out loud, more to himself then me. Either way, I got to listen to him.

"Hamburger... Don't need a full pound. But I'll be making helper tomorrow. And leftovers are nice. Okay, so a pound. Now cheese. And lettuce. I'll get a small tomato just because." I chuckled as he rambled his thoughts. He blushed deeply and bit his lip while turning to walk away. I touched his elbow and drew closer to him before he got too far.

"You don't have to stop. I think its adorable." I whispered into his ear. The blush lingered and he bit his lip even harder but I could tell he was just... effected by what I did.

"O-ok." He stuttered, pulling away. I couldn't help but notice, for the next couple isles he didn't make any eye contact. Made me sad because I would never get enough of his eyes but I knew it was for good reasons.

As I followed Edward like a lost puppy, I noticed a certain scent that I vaguely familiar with. Mostly because it instantly burned my nose and made my stomach churn. I stopped everything and looked around. Down the isle, browsing the shelves was the little pixie vampire from the pizza place Edward took me to. She noticed me about the same time I realized she was there and grimaced. I caught up to Edwards elbow.

"I need to talk to someone. Stay here." I whispered, handing him the basket. He started to say something as I hurried toward the vampire. I knew Edward would worry about what I was doing but I couldn't let her go by unnoticed again. She turned to me as I approached and gestured her in the other direction, away from Edward. She nodded, looking suddenly ashamed as she turned too.

"What are you doing here, bloodsucker?" I asked her as soon as I knew we wouldn't be heard.

"Grocery shopping." Was her answer. I growled down at the tiny monster. Now that I was alone with her, I wanted to tear out her throat. She merely flinched.

"Thats not-"

"I know. I know you're a werewolf and I'm a vampire. But I'm not a threat to you or your mate. I've been trying to live as human as I can." When she mentioned Edward, my teeth clenched and my hands curled into fists.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't just kill you." I growled again. I towered over the tiny girl but she was completely unaffected by my behavior.

"I have friends." A wave of sickly sweet scent crashed into me. I stumbled back, trying hard not to choke. Several vampires joined her. Two males and one female. My entire body started to shake on response.

"Don't worry, Jacob. We aren't a threat." The oldest blond vampire spoke to me the way my father would. It didn't bother me as much as the feral look in the other males eyes. He stared at me, looking for danger but seemed afraid. His eyes never left mine as he put an arm around Alice's waist. I immediately sensed they were mates and took a step back.

"I can't be sure of that. I still need to take this to my pack." I warned them as calmly as I could manage. The oldest nodded, with a grim frown. The others turned away, Alice's mate practically forced her to follow them. She still gave me the saddest look. I glared in return before looking around for Edward. He was close to where I left him.

"What was all that about?" I could tell he tried to sound somewhat indifferent but he was still worried. I could just see it in the way he quickly looked me up and down. Trying to find something different. I shook my head and gave him a one-armed hug. Feeling his body against mine, even for a second calmed my nerves. I inhaled as much of his scent without being obvious.

"It was nothing." He didn't seem to believe me but said nothing.

**Hey guys, I'm really sorry I haven't updated in so long. I hit writers block for the last couple months and was having a hard time with it. I hope the new chapter doesn't disappoint you or anything. Please review! We all know I just live off those! Hope you liked it!**

**Ashtin**


	10. Chapter 10

Edward was quieter since I left him to confront the vampires. It surprised me that there were so many in this area. Angered me, to think they were so close to my imprint. But the logical side of me reminded that he was safe from them. Still didn't make any sense why they would want to live as humans. I shook my head at my thoughts and turned them to Edward instead.

He carried only one plastic bag in his hand and focused on the ground too much. That worry was still in his eyes. It was bothering him so much. He even seemed to be walking stiffer, now that I was thinking about it. God, I'm such an ass.

I opened my mouth to hopefully explain it wasn't a big deal. Make up some story about how I saw a girl I knew and wanted to ask her something. Would he believe that? Naw, he's too smart to consider that. Maybe She had something in her teeth? No, definitely not. Why not just tell him the truth?

I flinched and quickly shook my head. No, theres no way I can tell him the truth. Not yet. I love him so much and he probably, hardly, so much as likes me. Any more then a friend at least. I can't ruin any possible chance of me being with him by telling him, he's in danger every second from immortal creatures. A sound broke me from my thoughts and I realized Edward was unlocking the door back to his shop. He tried to smile but looked sheepish when he held the door for me.

"Watch your head." He muttered to me as he opened a second door in the back. The ceiling so low, I had to duck and follow him up the narrow stairs. His apartment was very small. Nothing was exactly separated accept for the bathroom. After that, the kitchen over looked his living room which had a small bed tucked into the corner. The only thing dividing these rooms was a counter that extended, splitting the two areas.

"Wow." I mumbled under my breath. Edward chuckled as he started getting things together for his tacos. I tried to help but found I was pretty much useless in the kitchen. After a few attempts, Edward simple sat me down on the only stool with a can of soda. Watching him cook was one of the funniest and cutest things I've ever seen.

He tried to do too many things at once, chopping the vegetables, cooking the hamburger, getting out the appropriate number of bowls and plates. Then realizing he doesn't have enough dishes, so he starts washing a few. Every few seconds he'd glance sideways at the meat and then try to reach over with a soapy hand so he could stir it. I gave up when he sloshed water onto his shirt.

"Here, I'll take care of these." Edward jumped when I sneaked up behind him, putting one hand on his hip. He looked up at me, nervously. His scent was so good, I couldn't help myself. I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around him and inhaling deeply. For a moment, he was simply stiff but after a bit he leaned into me, letting me just hold him.

"T-thank you." He stuttered, breathlessly. I could feel his body shaking but knew he wasn't afraid. Did he want me here, like this just as much as I do? I swear, my heart skipped a beat when I saw his blush.

"You're welcome." I whispered in his ear. A shudder passed through his entire body and his head tipped back, exposing his neck to me. I wanted so badly to kiss and maybe even bite the flesh there. I knew that I had to at least try to control myself though. So I gritted my teeth and promised myself, _some other time, Jacob._

Reluctantly, I let my arms slide off him. I already ached, wanting to hold him again. He cleaned the soapy water off his hands and went back to fixing our lunch while I washed and dried everything in his sink. He tried to tell me I didn't have to a few times. I merely shook my head, smiled at him and kept washing.

Once he was done cooking, he lined the ingredients on the counter and told me to start making my own. Then we sat on his couch, listening to some crime show I didn't recognize. For the most part, the tv was just back round noise. We talked in between messy bites of food. I noticed it was a lot easier for us, talking. I mean, we haven't had a real silence for very long, always having something we wanted to say. I wonder if it seems the same for him.

"Here. I'll, umm..." His voice trailed off as he took our plates away and went to put them in the sink. For some reason, I found myself reaching out and stopping him. I put the plates on the coffee table and wrapped my arms around Edward waist, pulling him to lean against my chest. He drew a sharp breath but didn't try to pull away from me.

"Jake..." He whispered nervously, wrapping his hands around my biceps. For a moment he seemed distracted by my muscles. Not to be vain, but I know how nice my body is. His bright eyes turned back to my own. He bit his lip as his eyes dropped again, this time to my lips. The tiny flicker wasn't lost on me. I bent my head closer so I could softly touch my lips to his, earning another breath.

"Jacob?" He could barely breath my name as his body seemed to shudder. I met his green eyes, continuing to let my lips touch his. When I spoke, they brushed against each other.

"Do you want me to stop?" I asked him. His hands moved up to my shoulders as he stumbled to find words.

"Yes. No. I... I don't know..." His face grew red and he seemed to move closer to me as he shook his head. I didn't waste any more precious time with Edward. I parted my lips slightly, actually kissing him. He made a humming noise, trying to copy my movements.

God, Edward was so warm. I wanted so much to turn us over, pinned him down and spend the rest of the day ravishing his mouth. Not to mention other parts of him. I knew I couldn't, Edward was just too soft. Delicate. But I feel so... hungry for him. I let my tongue trace his lower lip tentatively. I felt, rather then heard his gasp as he let his lips slide apart, almost allowing me to go further. But at the last moment, he pulled away.

I swear, I felt my heart pounding against my ears as I tried to catch my breath, without being too obvious that I lost it in the first place. Edward seemed to visibly deflate against me, him gasping for air anyway. I was too aware of his hands, that dropped from my shoulders to my chest. His body slumped against my chest, letting his forehead touch my shoulder.

"Edward?" I whispered to him, raising a hand to the back of his neck. I stroked his hair and neck, hoping to offer some comfort. I think it worked, considering the heavy sigh he breathed.

"I'm okay." He mumbled, lifting his head again. I saw his face was flushed in red. Even his lips seemed a bit redder to me. "Where did... How did you..." He was at a loss for words. His nervous lip bitting returned. I allowed my hand to slide down his back to his waist again, so I could hold him just a little tighter

"How did I what?" I asked, finding my voice again. Edwards eyes dropped, embarrassed. I couldn't take my eyes off his lips as he spoke. Even though I was very vividly imagining how swollen I wanted to make those lips, I still heard his mumbled words.

"Learn to kiss like that." I could help smiling as it dawned on me; those short seconds spent fumbling around his lips, flustered him.

"I don't know." I answered honestly. His eyes seemed surprised when he looked at me again. My smile turned soft as I leaned forward ever so slightly, so I could stare directly in his eyes. "Edward, I've never kissed anyone before." I whispered it, like it was a secret. He shook his head slightly, breaking eye contact.

"But it felt so... So... oh, I don't know." He gave up, dropping his head to my shoulder. His hands clutched at my shirt. I'll be honest, I couldn't get enough of feeling his body against mine. From knee to chest, we were pressed together. For the moment, even our breathing seemed synchronized.

I let my fingers find the nape of his neck. He stiffened and then relaxed just as quickly. For a moment, time stood still. We breath each other in, just sitting there. Time didn't seem to move again until a loud, annoying beep broke our silence. Edward sat up, quickly locating his phone across the room, with an apologetic look for me. I smiled at him, reassuringly but missing his weight, nonetheless.

"Hello? Yeah. Jake?" He was surprised. I was confused until he offered his cell phone to me.

"Its for you." Edward was just as confused as I was. I stood, taking his phone and replacing it with my hand before he could move away.

"Hello?" I asked the phone, keeping Edward next to me. He winced at my tone. I realized I sounded angry. Makes sense. Whoever this was, messed up time with my mate. Edward stepped closer, hugging me with one arm.

"Jake its me." The voice had me growling.

"Sam!" The anger in my voice startled Edward. He jumped and started to move away again. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and kept him pressed to me. I hid my face in his hair, inhaling as much of his scent, to hopefully calm me down before I seriously scared my mate too much.

"We have an emergency, Jake. A vampires been in La push. I'm calling in everyone." Sam rushed through his words, his alpha tone mutely evident.

"You have the worst timing ever, Sam." I growled my frustration into the tiny device. Edward shifted again. This time, he pulled away just a bit so he could touch my chin. I looked down and couldn't resist the smallest of smiles when he simply shook his head at my behavior.

"Watch it, Black. I don't want to hear it." His voice was sharp, growling twice as loud as usual. The line went dead immediately, saving him from my anger. I clenched my teeth and glared at nothing as I dropped the phone on the couch. Edward didn't get the chance to speak. I instantly had him wrapped in my arms and buried my nose in his hair. His sweet scent helped take the edge off.

"I can't believe this." I murmured, shaking with the effort to stay calm. Edward simply let me hold him tight. His hand came up to my neck and started stroking it, much like I did to him earlier. I didn't even notice him quietly shushing my anger away until I felt his lips moving against my throat.

"You have to go." He stated when I felt okay enough to let him take half a step back. Our arms stayed around each other though. My frustration was still evident though. I nodded.

"I'm so sorry, Edward." I apologized, Edward shook his head.

"Don't be sorry. I know its not your fault." He promised me. I took a deep breath, trying to focus exclusively on him. His blush had faded but his eyes were worried. They flickered back and forth over my face, looking for what should have remained of my rage. The thought of hurting him effectively sent away everything negative and I was once again, helpless little Jake.

"I have to leave right away. But before I do..." For once, I was the one biting my lip. It was easier to do when it felt, well, natural. It was much harder when I had to ask.

"Yes?" Oh god, Edwards eyes just sparkled. Did he know what I wanted to do? Did he want to do it? I swallowed and let the words spill out.

"Can I kiss you again?" I basically said this all in one word, fearing rejection. I thought my heart might have jumped right out of my chest when Edward blushed and nodded, stepping close again.

I brought a hand up to cup his cheek and held him tight. His beautiful green eyes slid close as he leaned into me. I let my lips cover his, as I tried to taste every bit of him. Edward opened his lips instantly, a quiet groan escaping. I explored every inch of his mouth, savoring his flavor. Our arms were wrapped too tightly around one another. I could have been at this all day but I knew we had to breath sometime. It was with my own sad whine that I let our lips slide apart. Edward wasn't too pleased with this either but he needed air much more then I did. He gasped and ended up with his head resting at the base of my throat.

"I don't want you to go yet." He rushed in between breaths. This made me hold him tighter, never wanting to let go. My mate wants me. And I want him too. God, how can I possibly say no? I lifted Edwards face and gave his lips a tiny peck. Not enough to take his breath away again, but enough to keep kissing him.

"I know. Me too." I really just want to blow off Sam. Stay here all night, holding my mate and kissing him into oblivion. But I knew for a fact, not only would Sam have my hide, he would punish me by keeping me away from Edward for a long time. Maybe it was better to sacrifice one afternoon with my mate then several weeks.

Edward dropped his arms and I let mine fall away. We stared at each other sadly for a moment before his face lit up with a smile. This cheered me up a bunch. He started laughing, forcing me to smile as well.

"So much for going slow." Edward explained before I could ask. I laughed a little bit too, happy about that much. Before I could get upset again, Edward took my hand and started to walk me out. We didn't say anything, just walked. Sure, neither of us wanted it to end but we knew it had to. We didn't stop until we reached my car. I'll be honest, I hated seeing it. I glared at the useless machine, forever wishing I could stay.

"Do you know when we can see each other again?" Edward asked slowly. I looked at him and noticed he was frowning toward the car as well. He hated it right now, just as much as I did. I shrugged and inched toward him. Let me hold my mate one last time before I disappear.

"I don't know. Sam sounded serious and my hours are terrible. Honestly, the best I can do is call you when I get the chance." Edward nodded sadly but understanding. He turned toward me, slipping his arms around my waist and leaned against me. Something about the way he held me made it seemed more then just a hug. It seemed more like... he was trying to remember what I felt like. Which was fine by me. I held him too, breathing in as much of his scent and forcing myself to focus on the tiny details. Like how his smaller body fit into my arms perfectly, like they were molded just for him. The way his chest rose and fell with his breathing so our holds on each other were tighter. Or even the way his bare arms had goosebumps from the cold air. I ghosted my hands over his skin, trying to warm him mutely.

"I guess we'll just have to talk again soon." He suggested sadly, stepping back. I gave him a short, chaste kiss, wishing I could take that sadness away.

"Soon." I promised. With that, I got in the car and drove off, aware that Edward watched me until we were both out of sight.

**How was that for a first real kiss? You know, I was totally nervous because I wasn't sure how to get through this chapter. I wanted them to have something meaningful and intimate but then again, I wanted Edward and Jacob to take it super slow. Like a real couple you know? Because, lets be honest, people don't just jump in the sack with each other, not soul mates at least. I wanted this story to be like that, but there was no way in hell I could get away with no real intimacy. So I decided to have their attempts go up in smoke, rather then a bunch of boring conversation. And yeah, I added plot twists with the vampires but thats definitely not the main part of my story. I just can't stand when the only plot is romantic interest. There has to be some action for me, so I hope you appreciate it too.**

**Oh, and please Review Review Review!**

**Ashtin**


	11. Chapter 11

As soon as I was back in La Push, I parked my car outside the first store I could find and ran to the woods. I shifted quickly, hearing the voices of my brothers speaking all at once before I even finished my transformation. For that one second, I could barely separate the sounds from one another. Everyone was feeling different things that clouded my mind. Fear, excitement, anger and even appreciation came from all sides. I was already racing towards the rest of my pack.

_Where were you, Jacob?_ Paul sneered my mind. He was pissed that the beta was this late. I instantly snarled at his tone.

_I think we all know where Jake was. _Some how the ever relaxed Jarred sounded as if he were winking at me. As I finally caught up with everyone, the very first thing I noticed was Seth sitting between Jarred's front paws, shaking. The little kid was terrified, having been scared by Embry because he never had to deal with vampires before. They weren't that bad but Seth just didn't know and Embry had been spewing lies just to mess with him. Luckily, Sam already handled it. Who, by the way, looked like he was about to rip off my head.

_As soon as this is over, I just might. _He growled at me, mostly in frustration. _You were suppose to be here a while ago. There were two vampires Jake but they're already gone. If we're lucky they won't come back but they should have never been here in the first place!_

I froze at the blunt force of his anger. What in the hell did I do to deserve this? Sam paced angrily back and forth. Somehow, everyone gathered in a half circle, facing Sam and I. Seth shivered closer to Jarred, afraid of our Alphas behavior. Even Paul was somewhat shocked. I sat down and faced Sam, trying to keep myself in check. There was no reason for this and if I got pissed, bad things would happen. Things like being condemned to patrols for a long time, keeping me from other places. From better places.

_You're going with Jarred and Quil to track those vampires down. Make sure they don't come back._ A week ago, I would have been glad for this. But now, it was the cruelest punishment. And the worst part was that he knew. Sam knew this would kill me but did it anyway.

_Sam, please..._ I started. I was very well prepared to beg for my way out of this.

_No._ His reply was growled and forceful. I could already feel my heart cracking around the edges.

_But Sam-_

_I said no, Jacob! _His mental shout made the entire pack flinch and I fell to the ground. The force of his alpha voice was suffocating. No more then the obvious pain of knowing I couldn't see Edward. When could I even talk to him again?

Sam scoffed in disgust at my pitiful thoughts. After a moment, he realized that every one was sympathizing with me. They thought our rightful and just leader was being cruel for no reason. He snarled at this and ran off. Soon his thoughts disappeared as he shifted back to human.

_Jake?_ Seths voice was quiet and child-like. He still sat, nestled against Jarred but watched me. Quil and Embry took up flanks next to me and gently nudged me with their heads. Trying to convince me to stand.

_Why did he do that? I'm really not that late. It just takes a while to drive down here. I had no choice._ I whined to my brothers. My heart was breaking from knowing I couldn't see Edward for a long time. Could I even call him and explain? Not to mention the bitter anger toward Sam. He seemed to have betrayed me. I thought I could trust Sam to let me have time with my mate. Didn't he want time with Emily when he first met her?

_Don't mind it Jake. Sam is just scared. We haven't had vampires around these parts since your grandfather was alpha. Sam doesn't know what to do._ Jarred had a way with everyone. I began to calm down steadily.

_That makes sense..._ I mumbled across the link, wondering back to his behavior. He did seem a little bit edgy. Quil agreed with me, pushing his head against my shoulder. Trying to convince me to stand. I did so, to please him. Or well, everyone. Jarred leaned down to Seth and basically did the same thing. Gently nudged him until he recovered.

_Will you be okay Jake?_ God, Seth is so child like. I was by his side in a second, resting my head on his shoulder. It was the closest I could get to a huge as a wolf.

_I'll be just fine Seth, thank you._ Jarred smiled at our exchange but reminded me, we had some vampires to track. I flinched, both at the knowledge of vampires this close to home and the burning, itching feeling in my front paws. I wanted my human hands to find my keys, go back to my car, and race back to Port angles so I could hold Edward again.

_Come on. If we hurry then maybe... _Quil began. He didn't even have to finish as Jarred turned and ran off to show me where the vampires trails start. I followed, with Quil close on my heels. The rest of the pack either shifted or went back to their patrols, just in case.

_I hope so..._ I murmured, thinking back to Edward. He'll forgive me. Right?

**Sorry its short. Just needed to get something out. Review?**


	12. Chapter 12

We followed the scents for nearly a whole week. The best we could make out from it was that there were two vampires traveling at a fast speed. And it didn't seem as if they had any interest in La push at all. Just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their scents continued straight to a small lake. We circled it several times but couldn't find anything else. The vampires must have realized where they had been and tried to throw us off their trail. Well it worked. We couldn't find their scents for miles around that lake. At some point, Sam simply called it off so we could run home.

Edward was filling my mind. My two brothers with me didn't mind so much. Quil had his own imprint to think about and simply couldn't wait to hug his little Claire again. Emily had promised him Claire would be up to visit once we got back. Jarred was just Jarred. He didn't seem to care about simple things like that.

Meanwhile, Edward filled my head. I'm starting to notice that I'm not so opposed to his presence in my mind as I had once been. I just needed to accept that I love him and I will always be thinking of him. The knowledge of that doesn't disturb me so much, I guess. Now that I've had more time to think about it.

Once we were back in our territory, I immediately booked it back to my car, where I had left my cellphone. Luckily, it was in the early morning that there was no one around to see me get in my car, half naked. My cell was there, on the dark seat. My breath paused as I flipped it open. There were two missed calls, one voice mail and a text. All from Edward. I checked the voice mail first.

"_Hey, Jake. It's, uh. It's Edward. I was just wondering if you were free on Friday. It would be really nice to see you again. I mean, if you want that is... So yeah... Call me I guess._"

Shit, it's Sunday. The message was from Wednesday. I dialed six digits of his phone before I thought better and canceled the number. I don't think Edward would appreciate waking up in the middle of the night. Just to talk to me, the jerk who didn't call back. I checked his text message.

"_Call me when u get this. Tried 2 visit u but ran in2 Paul._" Anger suddenly gripped my chest and in that second I wasn't sure who I hated more; Paul or myself. God, I wasn't here… Even worse, I told Paul to stay away! If that bastard did anything to harm my mate then so help me, I'll kill him!

I started shaking so violently, I dropped the phone on the floor. It clattered as the plastic back popped off and the battery jumped in the opposite direction. My vision blurred in red as I shoved the car door open and burst forward into the woods again. I felt my chest and throat burn as I roared. All I could think about was Paul and exactly how much of his face I planned to tear off.

_PAUL!_ I screamed into the mental link, for once hoping he was there. The only other people were Seth and Leah. Seth cowered where he stood, near the western boundaries. Leah was already racing toward me. I gleamed from their thoughts that Paul went home a few minutes ago.

Leah collided with me as I turned and started towards Sam's place, where I had last known Paul to be. All I did was climb to my feet and try to run again, rather then fight her as I normally would have. I have more important things to do. Like rearranging Paul's face.

_Knock it off!_ Her screams bounced off my head, uselessly. Her jaws, however, were much more effective. I let out a yowl of pain when they sunk into my flank, drawing blood.

This was only effective in the way that it swayed the desire to kill Paul. It did not stop my rage though. All Leah managed to do was curb it so instead of being hell bent on murdering our brother, now I seriously wanted to hurt her. I twisted around fast and she tried to dodge away so I couldn't bite the juncture between her neck and shoulder, which had been my target. She still wasn't fast enough and instead, I cracked the bones in her front paw as I bit below the elbow. Leah howled while Seth's cries begged me to stop. I could barely think past the red in my vision and the coppery blood in my mouth.

_JACOB!_ A deep voice screamed so loud, it hurt my head and I winced. Leah took my distraction as an opportunity to bite my ear. I yelped at the pain. Ears are so sensitive that it was basically considered a low move in a fight. But as I jumped away, I noticed she made no effort to keep a hold on it. Turning to face her, I realized, all she meant to do was release my hold on her paw. Blood poured everywhere and ugly white bone poked out of it. I instantly regretted my actions, know she did nothing to deserve them. I laid on my back to show her my belly. A sign of submission.

_I'm sorry, Leah_. I apologized, truly sorry for what I had done. Leah shook her head, but sniffed at my belly, acknowledging and accepting my submission. Jarred burst through the trees, with a half-sobbing Seth in his wake.

Jarred looked tired. He was every bit as exhausted as me from our trip and didn't appreciate being dragged back out again, just before he would have gotten home. I kept my submissive stance for him and waited for him to say something. Do something. I was embarrassed and ashamed at my behavior. He merely shook his head. His thoughts we mostly concerned about Seth. In his eyes, Leah and I could duke it out any day of the week an he wouldn't care because we were capable of stopping ourself before going too far. Seth, on the other hand was panicked and crying because he couldn't understand why I was so angry at first. It scared him, and even worse, there was no one there to tell him everything was okay. Leah was caught up in stopping me. Seth had been subjected to my fury and Leah's anger as well as his own fear. I'm almost surprised the kid isn't hyperventilating.

Jarred threw a paw over Seth's back and quietly licked his tears away. I noticed that my rage had finally subsided. Leah's paw was already healing up, bone popping back into place with a sicking crunch. It reminded me of the blood in my mouth. I turned away so I could yak up my dinner, just to get the copper flavor off my tongue.

_Shh, it's okay, Seth. I'm here. _Jarred whispered to the tiny wolf. Seth buried his face against Jarred's chest as his shaking gradually subsided. Leah grimly turned away from the scene. It took me a moment to realize why she felt disdain towards the thought of them. I guess that's when I kinda saw them her way. I had been looking at my brother comfort a young pup, in need of support. She had been seeing a man repeatedly care for her brother with almost as much attention as their mother but without the parental relationship. She was seeing our pack brother care for Seth as he would a young lover.

Luckily, the pup was already curled up and asleep between Jarred's paws. He didn't hear me come to realize how much Jarred _really_ loved him. More then an older brother. The perfect mate. Jarred settled down in such a way that Seth would be kept warm throughout the night, even if that meant the killer cramp he would have in the morning. Leah simply went back to her run on the boundary lines, trying to ignore Jarred. She knew that Jarred is pretty much the only man she'd accept around her brother but that didn't seem good enough. It still felt like she was losing him.

_Seth is too young. He can't know that I'm... that I'm anything but a big brother. It's just not right. He's so innocent._ Jarred said this bleakly. Although it didn't make any difference, the older wolf nuzzled Seth's sandy fur. Just for the comfort of his scent.

I sat down, forgetting all about Paul and stared at Jarred. The man who has been my friend for many years, (and sometimes my mentor as well due to his wisdom beyond his age) was smitten with the pack pup and I hadn't even noticed. It all seemed so obvious to me now. I've seen him taking care of Seth, mostly because he was so young for this life but it never occurred to me that one of my best friends was in love with the kid. In a way, I was happy for him. I was glad he found love. But somehow, I knew there was nothing happy about this. Seth may forever remain out of Jarred's reach.

_There's a lot of truth to that._ Jarred commented. I knew he wasn't physically crying but he certainly felt like it._ You know the pack doesn't date because there's always that chance we'll meet our imprints. Even if Seth is a little young, I can wait. Like Quil and Claire. But this... it isn't like that at all. Some day, someone is going to show up and Seth will never look away. I love him but I know I can't have him. _

When Leah and I were fighting... A week ago, when Sam and I were fighting... Seth looked so hopeless and Jarred had it all together. He was there to keep Seth safe. And when everything was finished, he was there to remind the little pup that everything was just fine and there was nothing to be afraid of. Now, Seth rested peacefully while the wise Jarred, my best friend... was falling apart. Thats the only way I could describe in.

The hopelessness of his situation was too much. That, and the fact that I could feel everything he felt. He might not allow himself to cry, but I made no such promise. I let tears fall freely, wishing there was something I could do. It was just too damn depressing. Poor Jarred. Poor Seth.

_Don't worry about Paul and Edward. Nothing happened._ Jarred's thoughts were turning into a senseless mumble as he laid his head down, over Seth's back and started to fall asleep. I silently left the couple, Paul far from my mind. I would feel terrible if the man I loved turned away from me. Especially if he never even knew how much I loved him.

_I get that._ Leah whispered to me. She stared off a cliff, shedding silent tears to the mood. She was thinking about losing her dad, losing Sam and her fears of losing her brother. It was hard to tell exactly which ones made her cry.

By the time I got home, I didn't know who to cry for. All my friends seemed to be hurting. Nothing makes sense anyway. I shifted and stumbled through the doors. I ignored everything and just went to bed, hugging a pillow to my chest and cried myself to sleep because I couldn't feel anything besides losing loved ones. Whether I had them for a time or not.

**Its amazing how easy it is to write when you're avoiding real work. Please review, I desperately need the confidence boost.**

**Ashtin**


	13. Chapter 13

My body ached upon waking. It wasn't exactly painful. I ached and I was stiff but it was just from being a dead log for too long. I glanced at the clock to discover I had been asleep for nearly 14 hours. More then half a day. The sun was just starting to go down. The only force on earth that could have gotten me out of the bed any how was the painful, hungry gurgle of my stomach. I had eaten last night but I remember yakking up my dinner too, so I felt starved.

I dragged myself out of bed and dragged myself to the bathroom first and turned the water on as hot as I could take it. If anyone saw me, they'd swear I was a zombie. I managed to sink myself under the scalding water without somehow falling. My brain and body were so slow, I'd probably slip and it would take me several moments to realize I even fell.

After a long bath, I felt a little bit better. Dragged myself to the kitchen around dinner time anyway and cooked up three eggs, half a package of bacon, four pieces of toast and a quart of orange juice as my meal. I put it away without too much problem. Or at least, I didn't think there was a problem. Until I remembered Edward. I remembered his text and his voice mail... and the fact that I left my phone in my car... which I left in front of a store on the edge of the reservation... with the drivers side door wide open.

"Shit!" I ran out and barely managed to catch the note taped to the front door. I pause only long enough to grab it and keep heading out.

_You can have the next few days off-Sam. _Well who ever said Sam wasn't good for anything? I crumpled up the note and shifted so running to the store wouldn't take more then a few minutes. Luckily, my rabbit was still there. Someone had shut the door and stuck a note that it would be towed soon, if someone didn't claim it. Hey, at least whoever wrote it (probably the store manager) gave me two days instead of one. I crumbled up that note too and simply got in the car and started driving. Hey, at least I knew where I was going. Port Angeles.

…

It didn't occur for me to call Edward in the 20 minutes it took me to get there. Record time for me really. In my head, I had plans to shorten that by at least five minutes without getting pulled over (obviously). I guess it simply didn't pop into my head that maybe, I should let him know I'd be there.

I pulled up in front of his shop and I saw him through the window. He looked surprised to see me. And somehow, he seemed... guarded. There was a tightness around his eyes as he turned from the window. All I could register for that one second was the pain I felt in response. I held my breath as I stepped out of the cold into his shop. It was just as empty as it was any other day.

"Edward..." I muttered his name, unsure of what to say. So many things passed through my head all at once. I missed him. I was so happy to see him. I'm angry at Paul. I'm worried about my mate. I missed Edward.

Edward finally turned toward me, staring down at my stomach. I searched his pretty green eyes, trying to find what was wrong. Was it Paul? Did he scare my mate so much that he couldn't even look at me? Or maybe he was angry with me rather then Paul. He said in the text message that he was trying to meet me. Perhaps he was angry that I wasn't there to keep him safe when I basically told him I would.

It wasn't until his eyes flickered up that I noticed the discoloration. Next to his left eye was a large dark circle. I hadn't seen it immediately because his left side was always faced away from the bad light in the window. Directly next to his eye brow was a few red scratches, which were surrounded by a dark bruise. I barely registered hearing myself gasp. I was behind the counter in an instant.

I wrapped an arm around his waist and pinned him against my body. He gasped and leaned back, trying to wiggle away. I merely twisted so his hips were trapped between the counter and my hips. I used my other hand to force his chin up, so I could get a good look at the bruise. I groaned when I saw how dark it really was. His eyes were more ashamed then they were scared. I loosened my hold and gently guided, rather then forced him to look at me.

"Who did that to you?" I asked, struggling to keep the growl out of my voice. Edward shrugged and raised an arm to hug me back. I relished how that felt but I couldn't ignore the terrible mar on my imprints face.

"It's nothing-" I scoffed, interrupting him. His eyes smiled in amusement but otherwise ignored me. "I walked into a door."

I simply stared at him, showing my anger disappointment and disbelief. He glared back in return and pushed off the counter, effectively shoving me off him. I dropped my arms to circle his waist but otherwise, stopped leaning on his smaller frame. Edward still leaned away, basically silently telling me to step back. I just offered my expecting gaze, waiting patiently for him to give in. And give in, he did with a sigh.

"You didn't answer you're phone so I thought it might be nice to visit you. But when I got there and knocked and no one answered at first. I was kinda leaning a little close, so when I started to turn away, the door opened and caught my eye." I frowned at this. Not just because he had gotten hurt but because someone was in my house, answering my doors?

"Who-" I started, of course. Edward shrugged and looked down.

"Paul. He didn't say anything, just stared. I went back to the cab and that was that." His eyes were back to me. The green sparkle wasn't as bright as it had been last week but he didn't seem quite so glum.

I let out a huff of breath, disliking what happened to my mate, but I knew he was safe. He was in my arms and thats all that mattered. I kissed his forehead, earning a sweet smile that fixed the dark in his eyes. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, holding himself closer. I buried my nose in his hair and simply breathed. After a week of not having him, his scent calmed my nerves. I let out a nearly sub-vocal groan as the pleasure of holding him burned through me.

"I'll be honest, Jacob, I thought you didn't want to see me any more." His voice was low and would have gone straight to my groin if his words had been any different. But instead it inspired the worst sense of dread. I felt my wolf howling within me, hating myself without a reason quite yet.

"Oh baby, why?" I gasped out, clutching his body. My left hand went up to his hair and tangled my fingers in, while my right arm just held him closer to my chest. I knew I was trying to make him feel safe and wanted at the first time.

"I just... You... *sigh* it's been a long week, thats all." I hummed my amusement at his choice of words, fully understanding. Even though he tried to clutch me just as tightly as I held him, I kissed his temple and cheek.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry I was gone for so long and I didn't call you." I glanced out the window and saw a dead street, so I boldly cupped my hands under his butt and lifted him to sit on his counter. He let out a surprised squeak but other wise, kept his arms around me. With the added height, he was now the one looking down at me. I settled between his thighs, which gripped my hips while his face turned pink.

"What kills me the most, Edward, is that I can't promise it won't happen again. My boss gave me the next few days but I don't know what is coming after that." I spoke as honestly as I could, closed my eyes as I rested my head on his chest. His chin on my head.

"I guess we should use the time we have then." I lifted back just to ask him what he meant by that and his lips were already covering mine.

I groaned before grabbing either sides of his hips. His fingers tangled themselves into my hair while his tongue flickered against my bottom lip. His boldness and warmth was really turning me on. My lips parted, inviting him to continue. I felt him suck in a surprised breath that tickled my lips. I smiled into the kiss as I leaned forward, deepening it. He hesitated with his tongue but I did not. I took his hesitation as a chance to explore and taste every inch of his mouth until his body seemed to go limp. It was only then I pulled away so he could gasp for air. I love knowing how badly I can fluster him with a kiss.

"I-I'm sorry. I d-don't know what I was thinking." Edward seemed to splutter around his words as his face turned bright red. I chuckled and pecked his lips gently.

"Don't be sorry, Edward. I liked it." And I did too. I liked it. A lot.

Edward tried smiling at me but his eyes faltered and dropped to my chest in embarrassment. I smiled and kissed him again, this time with less... force. It didn't fluster him as bad but he maintained his blush. The next few seconds were simply spent staring at each other. Even though I had been missing him painfully for a week, I had forgotten how much my heart raced when simply looking at him. He was so beautiful, so innocent. I wanted to protect as well as love him. I loved how innocent he was but there was a sick part of me that wanted to take that innocence away. Make him mine.

Too bad the moment couldn't last, as much as I wanted it too. It just felt too good, his legs half curled around my hips, keeping me against the counter. His hands resting on my shoulders even though my scalp still stung from having them pulling on my hair. One hand stayed on his hip while the other gently cupped his cheek. I could have stood there staring all day and not gotten bored just from looking at him. I didn't get it because I'm used to becoming bored easily but somehow, it felt right... in a sick and twisted way.

"Its getting pretty close to my lunch break. I have some left over pizza if you want." Edward spoke, glancing at the clock on the wall, breaking the spell that only seemed to effect me. Or at least it seemed, until Edward hopped down from the counter and swayed against me. His hand touched my chest while he steady himself. I merely kissed his temple, unable to resist how cute he looked half-dazed.

From there, I lead the way to his apartment (right after putting up his lunch sign with a smirk). On the table was half a large pepperoni from the night before. Edward immediately grabbed a plate from the cupboard and threw them all in the microwave. I located a couple glasses and a bottle of soda in the fridge. I couldn't help but note he was getting low on food. He didn't seem to think anything of it at least.

We ended up in the same positions as last time. Sitting in front of the ignored tv with empty plates on the coffee table. Edward was half in my lap as my arms held him close. He moaned into my kisses freely and had no trouble asking for more. God, my pup was as hungry as I was. But not for day old pizza.

"J-Jake." He gasped, jerking away for air. I didn't hesitate and simply started feasting on his neck, causing even louder moans. Edward's fingers twisted into my hair as his hips seemed to grind against mine. It wasn't until I felt a lump in them that I realized his scent was heavy with arousal. He wanted me. Now. My hands worked by themselves, sliding up his shirt. A shiver passed through him as he gave a shuddering moan. Mine joined his when he threw a leg over my lap and straddled me. Edward was kissing me again, tongue and all, grinding his lump against mine. I groaned at this and my hands moved to slide under his jeans, rather then his shirt. Just as I was about to cup that sweet ass, a loud buzzing noise made him jump right out of his skin.

"Oh crap." He gasped, looking at the door. He sat straight up, making me think of one of those meerkats that freeze standing straight up, looking for danger. I chuckled quietly as he realized what kind of mess we'd gotten into now.

"What?" I asked. He stood up, pulling down his shirt, which had ended up bundled under his arm pits. I got a nice view of his smooth chest and a very dark treasure trail on the lower side of his flat belly. I could barely hold back my growl of approval, holding back to a quiet rumble in my chest. Edward didn't hear it though. He was brick red as he picked up our plates and set them in the sink.

"There's customers downstairs. The buzz is to let me know." He managed, running his fingers through his messed up hair, trying to tame it. He also looked at the front of his pants with a groan and turned even redder as he tried to adjust his shirt to unsuccessfully cover the lump. It seemed to be quickly deflating anyway.

"I'll be right back." He called over his shoulder as he went downstairs. I heard his voice as he greeted whoever was there and his nervous chuckle as he explained his absence.

I looked down at myself and out right laughed. My shirt was bunched the same way his ways, exposing my entire chest. The lump in my own jeans was already sinking back down. I found myself remembering that Edward had his hand up and down my chest but all I had been able to focus on was how fiercely he was grinding down. The entire afternoon was good. Very good.

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**Ashtin**


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